Baby Led Weaning: How To Do It and What You’ll Need

Oh, the exciting time when your baby is old enough to sit up, interact with you, smile, laugh, and eat!  I’ll be honest with you.  I’m not really a baby person.  I like the little babies, sure, but I am always so excited for them to grow up a little and become more interactive and fun.  Six months is an amazing age – they are doing such fun things, and becoming more of an active part of the family.

In our family, we love dinnertime.  It is a time of day that we all gather and spend time together.  I remember long, lingering dinners growing up.  We sit at the table every night.  We light candles every night.  We use cloth place mats, and cloth napkins every night.  These are important to me

It is also important to me that my kids eat what we eat.  There are many reasons for this.  It’s nutritious, it broadens their palates, and most importantly, it’s easy.  I don’t need to cook three different dinners, and keep track of minute dietary details.  This leads us to Baby Led Weaning.

First of all, I want to clear up a misconception.  The term weaning in this sense isn’t how Americans typically understand it (as in the taking away of something, like nursing, or bottles).  It means that you will start introducing foods to a baby’s diet, in addition to breast milk, or formula.  The baby should still be getting the huge majority of their food and nutrition from breast milk.

If you start your baby on pureed foods, you need a huge number of things:  food mill, food processor, jars, spoons, time, planning, processed baby food, money.  If you make your own purees, it is time consuming, messy, expensive.  If you buy pre-made baby food in jars, it’s also expensive, and you don’t really always know what’s in the jars.  You also always need to carry pureed food with you.

If you do Baby Led Weaning you need three things:

1. A baby
2. Food
3. A sense of humor (and maybe a bib or two)

Seriously.  that’s all you need.  For real.

We did this with Alma, and she’s two now.  She’s the best eater I know.  She eats Thai food, Mexican food, vegetables, soups, and her favorite food is Sushi.  So, we are doing it again with Harriet.

I like to start with sweet potatoes, or yams, cut into French-fry shaped sticks, and roasted.  The shape is good for beginning eaters because it is easy to grasp and get to the mouth.  It’s important to only try one kind of food at a kind, and wait a couple days before trying the next, to make sure your baby doesn’t have a reaction.

We’ve been doing it for about a month with Harriet and she loves it.  Her favorite foods are roasted, then frozen cauliflower bites, blueberries, sweet potatoes, peas (so cute to see her pudgy little fingers pick up a pea and get it to her mouth), rice cakes, yogurt, applesauce, green beans, asparagus.

Another plus to BLW is that it really encourages independence and fine motor skills.  Harriet can pick up a tiny pea, and get it to her mouth just fine.  She’s also getting pretty good at using a spoon to get applesauce from a bowl to her mouth.

It’s pretty amazing to see a little baby feeding herself.  She only has the beginnings of her two bottom teeth, but she can chew up all her food, work it around in her mouth, and swallow it, no problem.  It is so natural and instinctual (not like purees, if you ask me).

One thing to be aware of is that babies will sometimes gag (this is the case in BLW, and with purees).  It is really important to understand that gagging is very different than choking.  Gagging is a sign that they are figuring it out, I see it as a sign of success when Harriet gags a little.  It teaches her how to keep the food in the right part of her mouth until she’s ready to swallow it.

One of my favorite parts of BLW is that we get to eat dinner as a family.  We each sit up at the table and eat.  Jesse and I get to enjoy our meals.  We’re not constantly focused on Harriet, trying to force feed her.  Harriet eats until she doesn’t want to eat anymore.

I think it’s empowering.  Harriet gets to choose what she eats from what’s in front of her.  She gets to choose the pace in which she eats it.  She gets to choose when she’s had enough.

She’s a happy eater, so we’re a happy family!  Let me know if you have any fun baby feeding stories, or if you have any questions!  Cheers!

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Summer List

1.  Read 5 Books (at least).  Here’s what’s at the top of my list:

These are the five books I have on hold for my Nook through the public library.  Gotta love free reading! I’ve also just joined a book club, so we’ll see what that will bring me!

2.  Read Alma all her books.  I seem to be in a rut with Alma’s books.  She was given so many books when she was born and we haven’t gotten to many of them.  I tend to read a couple of my favorites over and over to her, but I’m sure she’d enjoy some variety.

3.  Sew 3 dresses + some.  I am making three dresses for a secret project, but I also want to try some of the many dresses I’ve pinned on Pinterest.

4. Do push-ups and sit-ups ALL.  THE.  TIME. Jesse and I tried to do 100 Pushups a couple summer ago, but I don’t think we made it.  Time for the second attempt.  I also want to do 10 minutes of ab work every other night.

5.  Take Alma to the coast.  Can it be true we still haven’t done this?  Terrible, I know.

6.  Write 4 letters.  I got this idea from Elizabeth and thought it was a lovely idea.  I’ve really been meaning to write more letters anyway.

7.  Swim ALL.  THE.  TIME.  Wherever I can, whenever I can.  I’m hoping to get to the pool a few times this summer, and to spend some time in a river or a lake.  I love swimming more than being on land.

8.  Hike a mountain.  Luckily I am surrounded.

9.  Try 10 new recipes.  Another Pinterest challenge.  I’m going to try to focus on using whole foods and cutting refined and processed ingredients.

10.  Blog whenever I do any of these things.  This might be the hardest of all.

Quick and Easy Salmon and Brussels Sprouts

I love salmon and Brussels sprouts.  Separately, they are good, but together, they are amazing!  Here’s my quick, easy, foolproof method for preparing both.  I had dinner on the table in under 25 minutes, start to finish.  That’s a win in my book.

Last night we had our salmon and Brussels sprouts with coleslaw from our fish market.  They make the best coleslaw, it’s hard to pass up when we go buy fresh fish.  I suppose this meal would be better with a nice rice pilaf or fingerling potatoes, but it’s good with coleslaw, too.

The salmon couldn’t be easier to cook.  I used to be totally intimidated by cooking fish, but then I discovered this method.  Rub olive oil on both sides of salmon, put on a baking sheet with parchment paper, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Here’s the key:  put in a cold oven then set the oven temperature to 400 degrees.  In about 20-25 minutes (depending on the size and thickness of the fish) it’s done!   I have never overcooked our salmon using this method.  A-maz-ing.

While the salmon is cooking, chop up some Brussels sprouts.  I usually quarter them, unless they’re really big, then I cut a little more.  It’s not a science.

Heat up some olive oil over medium/ medium-high heat and throw in the sprouts.  Stir occasionally while you get your relish ready for the salmon.  It usually takes 10-15 minutes total to cook the sprouts.  Turn the heat down if it seems like they are browning too quickly.  Throw some pepper in, if you feel like it.  Or some herbs.  I put herbes de Provence in pretty much everything, but you don’t have to.  Again, it’s not a science.

I love this relish, because it tastes like a summer day.  Seriously.  It’s seriously easy, too.  Chop up some herbs.  Last night I used parsley and chives because that’s what I have growing right now.  I’ve also used dill and cilantro.  Use whatever you like.  Throw in some capers, some olive oil and the juice of a small lemon.  Add pepper, but not salt (the capers have enough salt!).  Taste a little and see if you like it.  If you don’t, add more of whatever you think would make it better.  Not a science (do you sense a theme yet?).

When the sprouts are almost done, pour in a little balsamic.  Yum.  Stir it all together until the vinegar has reduced and everything looks good and done.

Take the salmon out of the oven, put it on plates, add some of the relish on top, throw some sprouts on the plate and whatever else.  Done!  So quick!  So easy!  So yummy!

Salmon

• Fresh salmon (about a half pound per person)
• Olive oil
• Salt & pepper

Relish

• Quarter cup of chopped herbs (parsley, dill, cilantro, chives, whatever)
• Juice of a small lemon
• Quarter cup capers
• Tablespoon or so olive oil
• Pepper to taste

Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

• Brussels sprouts (about a half pound per person?  Cut up however much you think you would eat)
• Olive oil for cooking
• Pepper
• 1/8th – 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (just pour it in and see how it looks)

Monday Menu (on Tuesday … again)

Monday:  Fried Rice

Tuesday:  Chicken Strips

Wednesday: Pork Verde

Thursday: Thai Beef

Friday:  Grilled Cheese

Saturday: Ravioli

Monday Menu (on Tuesday)

Monday:  Grilled Cheese on homemade bread and tomato soup

Tuesday:  Out with friends for soup (I had a root canal today… yuck)

Wednesday: Fried rice

Thursday:Ravioli or chicken noodle soup

Friday:  Spaghetti at a friend’s house, we’re taking salad

Saturday:  Lasagna at a friend’s house, we’re taking another salad

Novruz Preparation – Making Plov and Dovga

When I lived in Azerbaijan, I got to try a lot of the traditional foods.  I guested at a lot of people’s houses, but I have to say my host mother was the greatest cook of them all.  When we left, Jesse and I made sure we got some of Bibi’s recipes.  Two that I make every Novruz are her plov and her dovga.  Plov is a rice pilaf with chicken, dried fruit and saffron.  Dovga is a warm yogurt soup with greens.  Yum.

While I have to admit that my plov doesn’t hold a candle to Bibi’s, I think it gets better every year.  I think the key (that I have somewhat neglected in the past) is copious amounts of butter.  It just doesn’t get that true Azeri flavor if you skimp on the butter.  This year we used a lot, and it was much better!

While my plov doesn’t measure up, my dovga is awesome!  Dovga is one of the things that volunteers either loved or hated.  I hated it.  Until I tried Bibi’s.  Seriously, I could barely get dovga down most times, but when Bibi made it, I couldn’t get enough!  I don’t know what it was, but I’m so glad she shared her recipe with me!

Jesse also made cutlet, which you can see in the following photo.  This isn’t really a traditional Novruz food, but it’s an American pleaser since it’s just ground beef, lamb, herbs and onions pan fried in patties.  Good stuff!

Bibi’s Plov:

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 1 – 2 hours

• 4 Chicken pieces
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 1 pound white rice
• chestnuts (I can never find this, and the canned ones are gross, so I leave chestnuts out)
• 1/2 cup yellow raisins
• Dried fruit: apricots, plums, etc
• Butter – a couple sticks
• Saffron 10-15 strands
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup yogurt

Prepare rice like normal.  While rice is cooking, prepare the chicken in a frying pan.  When rice is almost done,   strain, put in a bowl, add 2 ounces butter and set aside.  Mix eggs and yogurt in a bowl and spread on the bottom of a large pot.  Sprinkle with about a cup of the rice.  Pour chicken juices over the rice, arrange the chicken in a single layer.  Put onion slices over the chicken and top with remaining rice.  In a small bowl, dissolve the saffron in 2 tablespoons hot water.  Pour this over the rice.  Cut 1 or 2 sticks of butter over the rice.  Seal the pot tightly with a towel, put pot over low heat for 1-2 hours.  Add raisins and dried fruit 5-10 minutes before plov is done cooking.

Bibi’s Dovga:

Prep time/ cook time: 30 minutes

• 1 quart plain yogurt
• 2 cups water
• 3 Tbs flour
• 1/2 cup white rice
• 1 egg
• 1/2 bunch Italian parsley
• 1/2 bunch cilantro
• 1/2 bunch spinach
• 1 small bunch dill

Cut up greens and set aside.  In a small bowl, mix rice and egg.  In a large bowl mix yogurt, water and flour.  Add rice to yogurt mixture and put on stove.  Bring to a bowl, stirring constantly.  When rice is soft, add greens and keep stirring.  When greens are soft serve in small bowls or glasses, with or without spoons.

Oh my gosh, my mouth is watering!

An experiment with beans

Last week I tried my hand at making an easy cassoulet.  I didn’t like how it turned out, so I’m not sharing the recipe quite yet.  I might try to tweak it so it’s more to my taste, then again, maybe I won’t.  I did get to use some of the beans I prepared last Monday.  I also got to use some of the carrots that are still in my garden from last summer.

Unfortunately, I had to dig them out as they were covered in snow.

I had my trusty assistant, again!  This is kind of blurry, but she was so cute and happy I had to include her!

The cassoulet looked pretty and tasty, but it was lacking something.  The flavors weren’t very strong, so I might try a spicier sausage or really amp up the herbs next time.

It’s always fun to try new recipes, even when they don’t turn out!  It just makes me want to figure out what went wrong and try again!